Cost of Living Comparison Between Saint Helier and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Saint Helier and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,361 in Saint Helier versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,408 in Saint Helier versus $2,286 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,456 in Saint Helier versus $3,310 in Phuket.

Living in Saint Helier is roughly 166% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Saint Helier is 150% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$37.20 JEP 27.75

$4.56 ฿149

715.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$138 JEP 103

$46.63 ฿1,519

195.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.90 JEP 8.13

$8.47 ฿276

28.69%

Cappuccino

$4.90 JEP 3.66

$3.03 ฿98.6

61.72%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.19 JEP 2.38

$0.69 ฿22.45

362.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 JEP 1.91

$0.37 ฿11.92

591.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.22 JEP 6.13

$2.49 ฿81.0

230.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.30 JEP 6.19

$3.66 ฿119

126.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.17 JEP 1.62

$2.18 ฿71.0

-0.46%

White Bread (500g)

$2.42 JEP 1.81

$1.90 ฿62.0

27.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.45 JEP 2.57

$2.20 ฿71.6

56.82%

Eggs

$5.76 JEP 4.30

$2.22 ฿72.4

159.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.73 JEP 7.26

$19.99 ฿651

-51.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.79 JEP 8.80

$3.66 ฿119

222.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.09 JEP 14.24

$13.25 ฿432

44.08%

Apples (1kg)

$4.35 JEP 3.24

$3.23 ฿105

34.67%

Banana (1kg)

$3.19 JEP 2.38

$1.70 ฿55.3

87.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.37 JEP 3.26

$2.39 ฿78.0

82.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.28 JEP 3.19

$2.08 ฿67.7

105.77%

Potato (1kg)

$3.88 JEP 2.89

$1.59 ฿51.8

144.03%

Onion (1kg)

$3.90 JEP 2.91

$1.48 ฿48.31

163.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 JEP 1.48

$1.03 ฿33.54

92.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.48 JEP 1.85

$0.52 ฿16.83

376.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.70 JEP 11.71

$4.25 ฿138

269.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.87 JEP 8.11

$18.79 ฿612

-42.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.56 JEP 3.40

$1.76 ฿57.2

159.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.35 JEP 5.48

$2.76 ฿89.8

166.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.13 JEP 2.34

$1.36 ฿44.32

130.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.2 JEP 50.9

$11.36 ฿370

500.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.98 JEP 4.46

$3.14 ฿102

90.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.03 JEP 3.00

$1.04 ฿33.74

287.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.30 JEP 25.59

$13.77 ฿448

149.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.15 JEP 1.60

$1.34 ฿43.79

60.45%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$22.1K JEP 16.5K

$27.7K ฿901.4K

-20.31%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$33.9K JEP 25.3K

$33.9K ฿1.1M

0.19%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$244 JEP 182

$124 ฿4,025

97.56%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$25.27 JEP 18.85

$13.52 ฿440

86.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$75.7 JEP 56.5

$18.69 ฿609

305.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.9 JEP 51.4

$61.8 ฿2,013

11.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.87 JEP 18.55

$17.25 ฿562

44.17%

Cinema Ticket

$20.85 JEP 15.56

$9.14 ฿298

128.12%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$2,155 JEP 1,607

$703 ฿22.9K

206.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K JEP 12.9K

$15.9K ฿517.0K

9.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$107 JEP 79.7

$59.5 ฿1,937

79.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$73.8 JEP 55.1

$35.07 ฿1,142

110.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 JEP 96.2

$115 ฿3,754

11.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$216 JEP 161

$84.1 ฿2,737

156.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,042 JEP 1,524

$619 ฿20.1K

230.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,629 JEP 1,215

$433 ฿14.1K

276.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,969 JEP 2,961

$2,062 ฿67.2K

92.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,539 JEP 2,640

$1,511 ฿49.2K

134.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.5K JEP 8,608

$3,646 ฿118.7K

216.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$10.1K JEP 7,505

$2,626 ฿85.5K

283.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,809 JEP 3,588

$507 ฿16.5K

848.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

5.33

-27.77%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Saint Helier: June 8, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,042 in Saint Helier and $619 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Saint Helier pays 849% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $138 in Saint Helier vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $424 vs $293 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Saint Helier vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 166% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Saint Helier pays 849% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,042 in Saint Helier versus $619 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,155 in Saint Helier versus $703 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 45% higher in Saint Helier. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,261 in Phuket versus $3,361 in Saint Helier, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Saint Helier. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Saint Helier, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Saint Helier and Phuket are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 166% less than in Saint Helier. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.